The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for use with an ink-jet recording apparatus, which supplies ink to a recording head for ejecting ink droplets in response to a print signal.
An ink-jet recording apparatus is generally constituted such that an ink-jet recording head for ejecting ink droplets in response to a print signal is mounted on a carriage which travels back and forth in a widthwise direction of recording paper and such that ink is supplied to the recording head from an external ink tank. In the case of a compact recording apparatus, an ink reservoir like the ink tank is removably provided on a carriage. In the case of a large recording apparatus, an ink reservoir is set in a casing and connected to a recording head by an ink supply tube.
As an ink cartridge to be set on a carriage, such types are available, that a porous member, such as a sponge, impregnated with ink is accommodated within an ink cartridge, and that only ink is stored in an ink cartridge, and a differential pressure regulating valve is disposed in the vicinity of a supply port of an ink storage section.
These types of ink cartridges can maintain ink pressure exerted on nozzle openings of a recording head at a predetermined level using the porous material or the differential pressure regulating valve, thereby preventing leakage of ink from the nozzle openings.
The present invention relates to the ink cartridges as described above, and aims at providing an ink cartridge which enables easy formation of a comparatively-complicated flow path such as an ink flow path and an atmosphere communication path.